I’m getting sick of getting mauled by baddies in Arlington, VA in Fallout 3 with them materializing less than 20 feet from me. Sniper rifle ain’t good when you can’t see them.

I hope your new Dell PC is built for gaming. The vast majority of brand name PCs are at best half-arsed performers in the area of 3D graphics rendering which is why my PCs are always roll-your-owns. How far are you into Fallout 3? Found your dear ol’ dad yet?

Tony.

]]>By: FierceGuppyhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2867831
Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:22:18 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2867831I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (OEM) just yesterday. It would have installed in 15-20 minutes had not something in the install process diverted the video signal from the DVI port out through the HDMI port. The next 7 hours were spent finding out why I was seeing a black screen where Windows login should have been. Other than that, everything else installed and functions has it should. I have a TV card and Windows Media Centre is now able to detect New Zealand’s DVB-T Freeview channels which it never could in Vista. Another pleasant surprise: I have an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink motherboard and all its component devices were detected and drivers found for them. That’s the first time I’ve never had to install chipset drivers for a Microsoft OS.

Other things I like:

1) Microsoft has raised the ceiling for its “Windows Experience Index” from 5.9 in Vista to 7.9 in Windows 7. 5.9 was easy meat, but nothing I have hits 7.9.

2) The background wallpaper slides are stunning. Man, I wish I could take photos like those.

3) I thought Windows Mail had been dumped. It’s now called Windows Live Mail which has to be downloaded separately. That means five years of email and newsgroup correspondence are still at my fingertips and more to come. :-)

4) I like the way tasks associated with an app are referenced from a single button in the taskbar and hovering the pointer over each of its instances pushes the corresponding window to the forground.

Windows 7 is a nice OS. I guess it’s time to say “Sinara Vista Ultimate”.

I’m getting sick of getting mauled by baddies in Arlington, VA in Fallout 3 with them materializing less than 20 feet from me. Sniper rifle ain’t good when you can’t see them.

As I gaze out on the post-nuclear radiated world, I will sing “Hear comes the sun……and I say… it’s alright.”

]]>By: sullahttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2867348
Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:13:23 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2867348For a quick reinstall of your choice of major programs after installing Win7 (or after a factory refresh of WinXP or Vista), check out ninite.com. It covers most of the apps I’m in the habit of installing.

I’ll be upgrading to Win7 64-bit Home Premium, on a clean install. My data is already backed up. I’ve been using it at work for over a year, and at home on a few test machines. I can’t wait to jettison Vista.

]]>By: friendlygrizzlyhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2867177
Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:05:14 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2867177When I moved my XP machine to Service Pack 3, it took one of my Excel templates and turned it into trash. It would no longer run at all. Backing off to SP2 brought it right back.

As I depend on that template to do some of my work here, I will stick with XP for the foreseeable future. If I had a .edu address I’d set up in dual boot and give 7 a whirl, but I’m not gonna spend even 100 clams at NewEgg to find out I bought something I cannot use. I already did that with Office 2004 for the Mac, which proved useless. And yes, to the smartalecks, I DID load it on a Mac. Its level of compatibility with its sister suite on the Windows platform is unacceptably low. (I do a lot with macros).

Speaking OF Mac, I like mine a lot, and it is my platform of choice. But I am not a fanboy, I just like how the various apps I have handle. It just feels cleaner, I do not have nag balloons popping up in the corner all the time, etc. I don’t on my PC either, since I edited the registry to get rid of them.

]]>By: AZfederalisthttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2867082
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:58:50 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2867082Still sticking with Linux for myself and Mac for Mrs Federalist. Not getting back on that MSoft roller coaster if I can help it.
]]>By: TheSitRephttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2867072
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:54:17 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2867072That sounds encouraging.
]]>By: MJBrutushttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2866964
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:33:33 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2866964I tried it out as well. However, I always use a VMWare virtual machine to try out new stuff. My live system is unaffected that way until I choose to upgrade it. I can use the VM to test out compatibility or configuration options or just about any other aspect of the new OS safely.

I tried out Vista that way and simply deleted the VM after deciding it was a dog.

Oh, and did I mention that VMWare can be used at home for FREE!

]]>By: nickj116http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2866776
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:17:11 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2866776I wasn’t planning on upgrading from XP, but Microsoft has a deal for college students where Windows 7 Home Premium is $29.99.

He’s going to let their Geek Squad handle the install as he has not the patience nor tech savvy to remove all the unnecessary bells n’ whistles on these microcrap systems.

All the more reason why I love my Mac.

]]>By: Just in time for the holidays: iMac vs. Windows 7 :: Innovationedgehttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2866431
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:37:57 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2866431[...] week a blogger asked his readers that very question, and only 16% said they would change operating systems [...]
]]>By: zoyclemhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2866367
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:22:14 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2866367I’ve had windows 7 since pre-release and haven’t had any issues with it. But I didn’t upgrade–this machine has had only win7 on it. I’ll be keeping XP on my older machines.
]]>By: Sharkehttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2866276
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:02:41 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2866276This just in. Burger King in Japan introduces a massive gut-busting 7-patty 1000 calorie burger in honor of the release of Windows 7.

]]>By: 29Victorhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865920
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:53:46 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865920Thanks for the recommendation Ed, followed the link and purchased PC Mover just now. With Windows 7 coming out I’m sure I’m going to be using it on many of my client’s computers.

Ed: counting your time and the expense of replacing applications, it cost you over $1000.00 to ‘upgrade’ to Windows 7. And that is before the test time you will have to put into it after all the installation and conversions.

The trade magazines report that Win 7 only ‘approaches’ XP speeds after you have tweaked and diddled with it. Otherwise, it is noticeably slower.

So what benefit have you gained from this ‘upgrade’ that is worth over $1000?

landlines on October 23, 2009 at 12:25 PM

You’re being absurd. If you want to use decade-old technology, go for it. Just quit bitching when software written in the modern era doesn’t work. The rest of us have moved on. And if you think XP is “faster” you clearly don’t understand where computing is headed and probably shouldn’t be chiming in.

One review of a mainstream PC publication claimed any speed increase would only be seen on 64 bit machines, not 32-bit.

Ed, which is yours?

JDPerren on October 23, 2009 at 11:44 AM

Whoever said that doesn’t know what they are talking about. The speed increases are due to artchitectural changes and to removal of unneccessary components (bloat). A 64-bit OS let’s you address more memory, which always improves performance, but that’s true on any OS.

]]>By: landlineshttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865384
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:25:26 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865384Ed: counting your time and the expense of replacing applications, it cost you over $1000.00 to ‘upgrade’ to Windows 7. And that is before the test time you will have to put into it after all the installation and conversions.

The trade magazines report that Win 7 only ‘approaches’ XP speeds after you have tweaked and diddled with it. Otherwise, it is noticeably slower.

So what benefit have you gained from this ‘upgrade’ that is worth over $1000?

]]>By: McGurkhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865309
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:14:53 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865309TonyR — you can secure windows the same way you secure linux: run as a normal user and think before elevating (UAC/sudo).
]]>By: McGurkhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865298
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:12:45 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865298Congrats, and I toldja your laptop’d eat 7 and shit awesome!
]]>By: metrichttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865253
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:06:36 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865253I have been running Win7 RC 7100 for a while now and I love it. I pre-ordered Win7 HP upgrade in June from Amazon for just $50. Unfortunately the free shipping doesn’t send it out until the 26th. But oh well, the RC will be fine until it arrives.
]]>By: KellyBomellyhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865241
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:03:18 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865241

BTW, anybody with a .edu email address can get Win 7 Home Premium (32 or 64) for $29.99 and Office 07 Ultimate (basically every Office 07 product except Visio) for $59.99. You can start here. In case you are wondering, if your Alma Mater provides you with a lifelong email, you will qualify as long as it has an edu extension…

TheBigOldDog on October 23, 2009 at 9:08 AM

Thank you! Almost forgot about one of the few great perks of being a university student. Last year I got Office 2007 for $15.00, and now a new OS for $29.99? Yes, please!

]]>By: JDPerrenhttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865163
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:44:54 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865163One review of a mainstream PC publication claimed any speed increase would only be seen on 64 bit machines, not 32-bit.

Ed, which is yours?

]]>By: Jimbo3http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865127
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:37:51 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865127I have huge problems installing new programs and upgrades on the Vista OS computers in our house because Vista generally requires you to log on as an administrator to make changes, which is counterintuitive and a real problem when you’re inside a program.

I can’t even access the administrator setting on one of our computers, which was a returned computer purchased at Best Buy, because there is no way to change the administrator password.

My Windows 7 upgrade should arrive tonight. I hope it fixes these problems.

]]>By: Sharkehttp://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/23/adventures-in-upgrading/comment-page-2/#comment-2865089
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:22:27 +0000http://hotair.com/?p=70083#comment-2865089To be honest I didn’t find Vista to be half as bad as people were making out – in fact when I think back to the year or so that I used it, I really had very few problems with it at all.

I think what happened is that opinions about Vista were pretty much dictated from the start by geek elites on forums and blogs. Normal people hear the “experts” savaging Vista and so they see that as the “correct” position to take. Pretty soon you’re made to feel like an idiot if you say anything positive about it.

Having said that it wasn’t exactly a fantastic OS and Windows 7 is far better. But if think about your Vista experience honestly and it is working fine for you, I see no real reason to upgrade unless you really need the new features it offers.